Visualization for Comprehension
Good readers see pictures as they read and poor readers most often do not. While most students instinctively do this, those who do not do so intuitively can be taught. The value of visualization is that the process uses the same thought pattern required for good comprehension to take place.
Encourage students to think of their eyelids as screens on which to see pictures, or have them stare at a blank wall and pretend it is a screen. Many students recall visually by rolling their eyes upward toward the ceiling. Remind them often to see the pictures.
There are many activities that can help students improve their visualization skills. Most visualization activities take only a few minutes to complete. The final goal is for students to apply visualization during their own reading. The activity ideas that we will be sharing are sequential. The first activity is listed here. Practice this activity until your student is comfortable and then proceed to the next level of difficulty.
Activity #1 – Color and Geometric shapes
1. Present geometric shapes of different colors to the student
2. Choose one shape and ask the student to look at it carefully
3. Remove the shape and ask the student to see the shape in his or her mind. This can be done by closing one’s eyes, staring ahead at a blank wall or rolling their eyes up toward the ceiling.
4. Let the student experiment to see which of the possibilities works best.
a. If the student claims to be unable to see the shape, ask him or her to draw what he or she remembers.
b. Drawing the shape requires the use of visual memory. With practice this becomes easier.
5. Explain that good readers see pictures or movies as they read. This ability to run the movies or pictures leads to good comprehension and good recall. Stress the value of visualization to your student.
Activity #2 – Concrete Objects
1. Present the student with an interesting object (toy, flower, sports object, etc.)
2. Ask the student to use his or her senses to look at the object, touch it, listen to it (if it makes a sound), smell it, and taste it (if appropriate).
3. Ask the student to look at a blank wall and describe the object to you. Get more details by asking, “What else can you see?”
Activity #3 – Distant Concrete Objects
1. Ask the student to recall something from home by looking at a blank wall and forming a visual picture (their room, car, pet, toy, etc.).
2. Ask the student to share what they see.
3. On some occasions you may want to ask the student to draw a picture of what they see.
Activity #4 – Listening to Narrative
1. Read a short descriptive story or poem to the student and ask him or her to listen with eyes closed or looking at a blank wall. Keep the selection very brief.
2. After each short section, ask the student to describe what they saw as you were reading. Use this process frequently.
3. Occasionally, you may want them to draw what they saw as they listened
Activity #5 – Reading
1. Encourage students to see as they read for themselves.
2. Remind them often! With experience, students can soon visual movies as they read.
Activity #6 – Writing
1. Always include visualization with creative writing.
2. Encouraging students to visualize as they write will promote use of elaboration and details.
Activity #7 – Self Esteem
1. After students become comfortable with using a blank wall as a screen, encourage them to see themselves being successful students. Athletes use this technique to see themselves running races, shooting baskets, and hitting baseballs.
2. Ask students, “How would your face look if you did well on your spelling test? How would you sit? How would you tell someone else of your accomplishment?
3. “How would you look if you were a confident reader/writer? See yourself writing/reading easily, quickly, and successfully.”
4. Guide students to recognize that successful students actually use different facial expressions and body language as they learn.
5. Teach less successful students to “act” like the more successful learners they have observed.
Activity #8 – Self Talk
1. Acting like a successful learner includes monitoring self-talk.
2. Students can be encouraged to listen for self-defeating messages, such as “I’m stupid. I can’t do this.”
3. As students begin to notice negative self talk, they can respond with a positive message. “I can learn. I am getting better every day.” --
Adapted from http://www.familyschool.com
Encourage students to think of their eyelids as screens on which to see pictures, or have them stare at a blank wall and pretend it is a screen. Many students recall visually by rolling their eyes upward toward the ceiling. Remind them often to see the pictures.
There are many activities that can help students improve their visualization skills. Most visualization activities take only a few minutes to complete. The final goal is for students to apply visualization during their own reading. The activity ideas that we will be sharing are sequential. The first activity is listed here. Practice this activity until your student is comfortable and then proceed to the next level of difficulty.
Activity #1 – Color and Geometric shapes
1. Present geometric shapes of different colors to the student
2. Choose one shape and ask the student to look at it carefully
3. Remove the shape and ask the student to see the shape in his or her mind. This can be done by closing one’s eyes, staring ahead at a blank wall or rolling their eyes up toward the ceiling.
4. Let the student experiment to see which of the possibilities works best.
a. If the student claims to be unable to see the shape, ask him or her to draw what he or she remembers.
b. Drawing the shape requires the use of visual memory. With practice this becomes easier.
5. Explain that good readers see pictures or movies as they read. This ability to run the movies or pictures leads to good comprehension and good recall. Stress the value of visualization to your student.
Activity #2 – Concrete Objects
1. Present the student with an interesting object (toy, flower, sports object, etc.)
2. Ask the student to use his or her senses to look at the object, touch it, listen to it (if it makes a sound), smell it, and taste it (if appropriate).
3. Ask the student to look at a blank wall and describe the object to you. Get more details by asking, “What else can you see?”
Activity #3 – Distant Concrete Objects
1. Ask the student to recall something from home by looking at a blank wall and forming a visual picture (their room, car, pet, toy, etc.).
2. Ask the student to share what they see.
3. On some occasions you may want to ask the student to draw a picture of what they see.
Activity #4 – Listening to Narrative
1. Read a short descriptive story or poem to the student and ask him or her to listen with eyes closed or looking at a blank wall. Keep the selection very brief.
2. After each short section, ask the student to describe what they saw as you were reading. Use this process frequently.
3. Occasionally, you may want them to draw what they saw as they listened
Activity #5 – Reading
1. Encourage students to see as they read for themselves.
2. Remind them often! With experience, students can soon visual movies as they read.
Activity #6 – Writing
1. Always include visualization with creative writing.
2. Encouraging students to visualize as they write will promote use of elaboration and details.
Activity #7 – Self Esteem
1. After students become comfortable with using a blank wall as a screen, encourage them to see themselves being successful students. Athletes use this technique to see themselves running races, shooting baskets, and hitting baseballs.
2. Ask students, “How would your face look if you did well on your spelling test? How would you sit? How would you tell someone else of your accomplishment?
3. “How would you look if you were a confident reader/writer? See yourself writing/reading easily, quickly, and successfully.”
4. Guide students to recognize that successful students actually use different facial expressions and body language as they learn.
5. Teach less successful students to “act” like the more successful learners they have observed.
Activity #8 – Self Talk
1. Acting like a successful learner includes monitoring self-talk.
2. Students can be encouraged to listen for self-defeating messages, such as “I’m stupid. I can’t do this.”
3. As students begin to notice negative self talk, they can respond with a positive message. “I can learn. I am getting better every day.” --
Adapted from http://www.familyschool.com